With racing's temporary opportunity as the only game in town, the TDN's Katie Ritz took a poll of some industry insiders known to like a good bet and asked them: what is one simple way that tracks could make betting more friendly for existing horseplayers and/or more effective at bringing in new players? As you'll see, none of them could stop at just one.
GABBY GAUDET, Racing Analyst & Reporter, TVG
One way that racetracks could help both novice and expert horseplayers is by improving the camera shots and angles on their simulcast feeds. Some horseplayers wager based on the physical appearances of the horses on the track. Give the viewers more intimate shots of each horse in the post parade and especially when the field is behind the gate. I'll go one step further and say that any gate mishap (breaking through gate, getting loose pre-race, etc.) should be archived and available to view. Improved camera angles DURING a race would help as well. Try to avoid any and all blind spots (trees, structures, turns), and provide multiple angles. This not only enhances real-time viewer experience, but it also gives “trip” handicappers and horseplayers better tools to place a wager when they go back and watch the replay. I understand this is a costly request, but likely a necessary expense as the drive towards watching and wagering from home/handheld devices increases.
JIM MULVIHILL, Senior Director of Betting Information, Churchill Downs:
More friendly for existing horseplayers: I'm afraid most of the best ideas out there aren't simple or they would have been enacted already. One constant annoyance for me is that tracks don't have enough wagering information on display throughout the facility. I hate staring at a monitor waiting for a specific piece of information to appear on the simulcast signal–exacta combinations, will pays, pool amounts, scratches, prices, replays, picks, etc. They all rotate through at different intervals and if you miss the one crucial bit of info you want, you have to stand there wasting valuable time until it comes up again. Why not have more channels and monitors dedicated to specific information? The closest example I can think of is that wall at Keeneland that shows every race replay on its own TV on a loop all day long. I'd like to see more configurations like that with separate screens for types of betting information–one monitor dedicated to will-pays, one dedicated to replays, one for exactas, one for pool totals, one for expert picks, and so on. My dream grandstand would look like Times Square but every board would feature real-time betting information.
More effective at bringing in new players: For most tracks, you can throw money at all forms of advertising but it's doubtful you'll get a return on that investment in new handle or other forms of revenue. I prefer to see initiatives that target casual fans and push them to the next level of engagement. It's far more realistic to get someone to participate more often and spend more on each visit (to a track or a website) than to try to inspire people who have never shown an interest in their previous decades of life. The most effective simple thing I've experienced is simply introducing casual but curious fans to more serious players. If they meet some regulars who can show them how to play smarter and how to have a great time at the track, they will want to be like those people. I know I'm still inclined to bet more races for larger amounts when I'm around bigger bettors and want to play on their level, even if just for that day. If I meet someone who wants to learn more I make sure to connect them with established players I think they'll get along with, and to employees at the track who can help them. Those connections and familiar faces will keep them wanting to learn more and, as we all know, there's always more to learn in this sport!
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